With its grand opening, the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, a component of the new Davis Dairy Plant at South Dakota State University (SDSU), will provide dairy farmers a means by which to expand domestic and global market opportunities for dairy-based products. The Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing will provide the facilities and experts to assist dairy ingredient manufacturers in research, development and testing of new dairy-based ingredients and processes.

Lloyd Metzger in front of the Davis Dairy Plant

"Historically, the lack of semi-commercial scale pilot equipment in the United States has limited the ability of manufacturers to develop and introduce new dairy ingredients for domestic and global use," said Lloyd Metzger, director, Midwest Dairy Foods Research at SDSU. "In the past, a dairy-based ingredient manufacturer wanting to test a new product or new system at their plant needed to shut down an entire production line in order to do so. This practice resulted in lost manufacturing time and potential product failure due to lack of real commercial scale-up measurements needed to test production of a new ingredient. The Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing now provides manufacturers with the means to evaluate the commercial feasibility of full-scale production.

"Midwest dairy farmers, and dairy farmers across the U.S., have a long-standing commitment to driving innovation and domestic and global demand for dairy products and ingredients. The $10 million expansion of the South Dakota State University Davis Dairy Plant was funded by dairy farmers through Midwest Dairy Association and the American Dairy Association of South Dakota, dairy processors, dairy suppliers, alumni and friends of the SDSU Foundation, the State of South Dakota and South Dakota State University.The Dairy Research Institute and research centers across the U.S., such as the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, work with and through industry, academic, government and commercial partners to increase pre-competitive, technical research in nutrition, products and sustainability on behalf of all dairy farmers."The Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing is the only resource of its kind to help manufacturers test how their processes can work in a commercial setting. With guidance from world class technical experts, we believe this will help expand the number of dairy-based ingredients produced for domestic and international markets at a much faster pace. And that's good for both manufacturers and dairy farmers," said Jerry Messer, a Richardton, North Dakota, dairy farmer and Midwest Dairy Association chair. "Establishing this Institute also complements the growing dairy industry of the upper Midwest."The Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing at South Dakota State University is part of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center. The Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center includes researchers and facilities at the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and South Dakota State University, and offers expertise in cheese, whey, milk and dairy ingredient processing, and dairy product safety, flavor and nutrition. With the addition of the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, commercial scale and feasibility studies can be added to trials.

In addition to the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center, there are five other research centers located across the United States that make up the National Dairy Foods Research Center program. This program is supported by The Dairy Research Institute®, which was established under the leadership of America’s dairy farmers and provides industry with dairy product and ingredient research and technical resources.For more information about the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, visit DairyIngredientProcessing.com